Winding machine



Feb. 2, 1932. H. H. EATON WINDING MACHINE Filed May 7, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet grvoento'p Harrison [7. Eaan amm,

H. H. EATON Feb. 2, 1932.

WINDING MACHINE Filed May 7, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 n One of the principal objects of this inven-' ingly high speeds.

Patented 'Feb. 2, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HARRISON H. EATON, OI TOLEDO, OHIO, A SSIGNOR TO THE ELECTRIC AUTO-LITE GOM- PANY, 0] TOLEDO, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO WINDING MACHINE I Application filed Iay' 7, 1928. Serial No. 275,675,

This invention relates to winding machines of a type employed in winding material upon a core and more particularly to machines for winding or wrapping thread or other fibrous material upon a continuously moving wire.

tion is the provision of improving-means for windlng a continuous fibrous thread on a strand of wire.

chine for continuously winding thread upon wire which will-function properly at exceed- Another object of this invention is the provision of a machine of this character in which the motor and winding head are constructed as a single unit which may be quickly. and easily removed and repaired or replaced if the parts should become worn or damaged.

A further object is the provision of a winding machine wherein the core or wire is adapted to pass through a hollow shaft form- .ing a part of the motor and winding unit.

Another object is the provision of a simple winding unit which may be gradually accelerated to very high speeds and in which the liability of breaking the winding thread is practically eliminated.

Another object is the provision of a machine of this character which will wind the thread evenly and uniformly, upon the wire.

Another object is the provision of means for moving the core through the winding machine at-a uniform speed irrespective of the amount of wire upon the feeding and collecting spools.

Still another object is the provision of a winding machine which is entirely automatic in its operation requiring'little attention of the operator, and is so constructed that a number of these machines may be arranged in batteries and taken care of by one operator.

Further objects and advantages are within the scope of this invention such as relate to the arrangement, operation and function of the related elements of the structure, to various details of construction and to combinations of parts, elements per se, and to economies of manufacture and numerous other features as will be apparent froma consideration of the specification and drawings of a form of the invention, which may be preferred, in which Figure I is a front elevationalview of the machine of my invention.

Figure II is anenlarged top plan view of the winding head assembly.

Figure III is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on the line III-III of Figure Another object is the provision of a ma- II Figure IV is a side elevational view of the machine shown in Figure I.

Figure V is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially on the line of VV of Figure IV.

Figure VI is an isometric view of the winding or wrapping shuttle per se.

Referring to the drawings in detail, I have illustrated my invention as used for wrapping insulating material upon a core of magnet wire, but it is to be understood that I contemplate the use of my invention for winding various'materials upon any kind of core element wherever the same may be found to be applicable. The machine comprises substantially an upright frame 1 which is provided with a right angle bracket portion 2 suitable for securing the frame to a table 3 or other suitable supporting means.

The frame 1 is also provided with a projecting portion 5 which is formed with a plurality of ways 6 within which is adjustably secured the tang 7 forming a part of a motor housing 8, the latter being held in place by means of screws 9. The motor armature comprises a hollow shaft 10 through the opening of which the wire or core to be wrapped is adapted to travel.

In order to prevent breakage of the wrapping thread during the acceleration of motor in starting, and to regulate the running speed of the motor, I have provided a starting and speed regulating resistance R suitably conalso adapted to receive a wrappin shuttle or serving attachment 15 which is a apted to guide or wrap the thread or other Wrapping material around the wire \V, the attachment 15 being rotated by the motor shaft 10. The wrapping material is conveyed through openings in hardened bushings 17 and 18 fixedly secured in the wall of the cup-like member 11. The wrapping thread A is adapted to engage a curved portion 20 on the serving attachment which acts to flatten or spread the fibers of the thread A so as to cause them to lie evenly and uniformly upon the wire WV, WhlCh passes through the serving attachment 15 in a groove 22. A tension plate 23 is secured to the serving attachment by means of screws 24 and provides a means for smoothing and at the same time preventing displacement of the wrapped wire.

Fixed to the lower portion of the frame 1 is a bracket 27 having laterally projecting portions 28 and 29, one of the projections 28 having a spool supporting tenon 30 which is adapted to engage one end of the wire supply spooi 31. The other end of the spool- 31 is engaged by asimilar tenon 32 forming a part of a short shaft 33 which is carried in a bore in the other projection 29, the spool 31 being resiliently held in engagement with the tenons 30 and 32 by means of a coil spring 34 interposed between the member 29 and the tenon 32.

When the wire supply on one spool has been exhausted it may be removed and a new one substituted therefor by manipulation of the shaft 33 through the head portion 35, a lateral movement to be left operating to withdraw the tenon 32 in engagement with the spool.

The wire from the wire supply spool 31 travels upwardly through a guiding bushing 37 positioned in a projection 38 formed integral with the bracket 27, the wire passing through the guide 37, the hollow shaft with the motor 8, and winding head thence through a bushing 40 passing around a grooved drum-like member 61 and accumulating or collecting spool 44.

I have provided simple and efficient means for feeding the wire at a uniform speed which means will now be described. Formed integral with the frame 1 adjacent the motor 8 is an elongated boss which forms a suitable journal for a shaft 46. One end of the shaft 46 is provided with a worm Wheel 47 meshing with a worm 48 secured upon the lower end of the motor shaft 10. The other end of the shaft 46 is provided with a bevel gear 50 meshing with a similar gear 51, the

larger gear 51 being fixedly secured upon a vertically positioned shaft 52 suitably journalled at its lower end in a projecting portion 53 of the bracket 2. The upper end of shaft 52 is provided with a bevel gear 53 meshing with a similar gear 54 secured upon The shaft 59 is provided with a drum which is formed with a arranged in alignment the wire guiding bushshaped member 61 suitable groove 62 with the opening in ing 40 so as to be directly in the path of the.

wire as it comes from the wrapping machine. The wire W 1s referably given one or more .turns around t e drum 61 so that the wire is frictionally held to the drum so that any rotation of the drum will operate to advance the wire W at a uniform speed. The wire is taken away from the drum 61, is passed over a guiding pulley 65 carried by an arm 66, the wrapped wire being wound upon a collecting spool 44.

I have provided means whereby the machine may accommodate cores of various sizes which may be made to travel at various rates of speed and also change the winding rate of the wrapping material. To this end I have supported the shaft 60, which carries the gear 57 in an arcuate slot 63, and which is adjustably retained therein by means of a nut 67. It will be obvious that the various sizes of gears may be substituted for the gear 58 and proper enmeshing had with the intermediate gear 57 by manipulation of the nut 67 and adjusting the position of the shaft 60 in the slot 63. By this means the rate of speed of the feeding drum 61 may be changed which obviously changes the rate of feeding of the core material through the winding head thus permitting a change in the ratio of the wrapping material upon the core.

The spool 44 is preferably driven by means of a friction band or belt. 68 which passes around the drum 61 engaging a groove therein and around a pulley 69 which is secured to the shaft 70 supporting the collecting spool 44. The respective sizes or diameters of the drum 61 and pulley 69 are such that the collecting spool 44 is always driven at a speed which somewhat exceeds the speed of the drum 42 so that the wrapped wire W accumulated upon the spool will always be under a constant tension, the difference in the speeds of the drum 61 and pulley 69 being compensated for b slippage of the belt 68.

I have provide a means for uniformly winding the wire laterally of the spool 44 which comprises a heart-shaped cam 72 which is engaged by a projection 73 carried by the arm 66 carrying the wire guiding pulley 65 at a speed suitable for apportioning the wire upon the spool 44. The operation of the machine. is as follows:

The wire is taken from the wire supply spool 31 passing upwardly through the bushing 37, hollow motor shaft 10 and a serving attachment 15, which, together with the cup shaped member 11 and a spool of wrapping material 13, are adapted to rotate at an exceedingly high speed. This rotation of serving attachment 15, relative to the longitudinal movement of the wire serves to rapidly wrap the thread A upon the wire as it is moved through the winding head by means of the drum 62 which is positively being driven at a uniforn'l speed through the system of gearing hereinbefore described, which is actuated by the motor 8. As the wire comes from the actuating drum 61 it passes over the guide roller 65 which properly guides it on to the collecting spool 44 which is driven by means of the belt 68 from the grooved drum 61. As the spool of thread 13 rotates at a speed substantially that of the cup like member 11, there is very little liability of the wrapping thread A being broken even though the motor be rotated at an exceedingly high speed. The only difference between the speeds of rotation of the spool 13 and cup 11 is due to the relative unwinding movement of the spool in wrapping the thread around the wire W.

It is apparent that, within the scope of the invention modifications and different arrangements may be made other than is herein disclosed, and the present disclosure is illustrative merely, the invention comprehending all variations thereof.

What I claim is:

1. A portable winding machine adapted to be positioned vertically upon a support comprising, in combination, an elongated frame; means on said frame-to removably support a supply of wire, said frame being formed with a plurality of ways: a winding unit having means engageable with said ways and adapted to be secured thereto, said winding unit comprising a motor having a hollow shaft through which passes the wire to be wrapped; a cup-shaped winding head carried by said shaft; a spool of wrapping material cooperating with said winding head, said wrapping material adapted to be wound upon said wire; a grooved drum adapted for engagement with the wrapped wire for moving the latter at a substantially uniform rate of speed; means for driving said drum from said motor; a collecting spool for accumulating the Wrapped wire; friction means for actuating said spool from said drum; and a cam and lever arrangement for directing the wrapped wire to said collecting spool.

2. A portable winding machine adapted to be secured to a support and comprising, in combination, a frame; means on said frame to support a supply of wire; a dynamo electric machine having a hollow shaft through means including a drum adapted for engagement with the wrapped wire for moving the latter at a speed proportionate to the speed of said dynamo electric machine; a collecting spool; and a cam and lever arrangement for directing the wrapped wire to said collecting spool.

3. A winding unit for a portable winding machine comprising, in combination, a supporting frame; a motor; a winding head operatively connected to said motor comprising a cup-like member adapted to receive and retain a spool of wrapping material; a shuttle associated with said cup-like member; and means formed on said motor and supporting frame for slidably and adjustably securing the winding unit to said supporting frame.

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature.

HARRISON H. EATON. 

